Awaken the Senses
by KaelynAnne
Summary: Truth: They should be enemies. Dare: One kiss could change what they should be. This one shot swirls around the smoking, both barrels loaded relationship of Jason Morgan and Claudia Zacchara.


Disclaimer: All characters belong to the creators of General Hospital.

It was three in the morning and she was sitting on Jason Morgan's couch doing shots of vodka and playing truth or dare. Claudia had no idea how she'd wound up here but at this point she didn't care. She was too drunk to figure out the logistics and for once, Jason was acting like a normal person, talking and laughing like they had been best friends for years. It was a side of him she'd never seen before and she liked it.

"Truth or dare?" he asked, refilling their shot glasses.

"Truth." It was a dangerous choice but she'd never been one to back away from a challenge.

"Why didn't you leave Port Charles when you had the chance?"

Claudia sucked in a breath. She _really_ didn't want to answer that question. Already she could feel the levity of the atmosphere leaving and it felt like the walls were closing in on her. She downed her shot then looked up to see Jason watching her intensely, waiting for her answer.

"Because of you."

And there it went. The last of the carefree mood they had been sharing flew directly out the door and hit the express button on the elevator to get out of Harborview Towers. The air in the room suddenly felt like it was being weighed down by a ten thousand pound lead weight.

"How did I affect your choice? We barely spoke to each other until eleven months ago."

She nodded and licked her lips, tasting vodka and the Italian chocolate that she'd been eating. The heat kicked on and she rubbed her hands against her pants. This was ridiculous, she shouldn't be this nervous.

"Claudia?" His voice was gentle, coaxing her to open up to him, but it also held an edge of impatience. He wanted to know why he, of all people, had been a major factor in her decision. They weren't exactly friends but they weren't at each other's throats anymore. It was hard to describe their relationship and right now, after a bottle and a half of vodka, he couldn't exactly think of an accurate word.

"I have feelings for you."

Her admission surprised them both. It was the last thing in the world Jason had expected to hear from Claudia and it was the first time she had allowed herself to speak the words out loud. But now that the dam had broken, she couldn't stop.

"I don't know how it happened, or when, but it did. And I know you can't stand me and we would never work as a couple. That's why I haven't said anything. It's my problem so I'll deal with it myself."

She moved to stand up but he grabbed her wrist, keeping her on the couch. "Stay."

"Why? It's obvious you don't feel the same way."

"You don't know a damn thing about the way I feel," he growled, watching her eyes intently.

Claudia tried to keep her emotions under lock and key but her eyes gave her away. Gone was the usual cold, hard gaze. It had been replaced by a vulnerability he'd never seen. Her dark brown eyes had always intrigued him. He couldn't explain why but they did and now that they were the most expressive he had ever seen them, Jason couldn't make himself look away.

"Say something." It was a barely whispered command but it spoke volumes.

"You're beautiful and smart and you're good at what you do. You talk a lot but I don't mind. I like hearing your voice." He caressed her cheek and her eyes softened even more. "You've managed to get to me like no one else has ever been able to. These last few months, I've looked forward to seeing you but I kept my distance because we both need time to heal."

She understood his reasoning but she didn't want to wait anymore. It had been a year and a half since he and Elizabeth had called things off for good and fifteen months since she and Ric had broken up. She was tired of waiting but for once in her life, Claudia was playing it safe. There was no way she was going to ruin what she and Jason could have before it even got started.

"I don't want distance."

"What do you want?"

They both knew the answer but Jason wanted to hear her say the words. He wanted to know that she was absolutely sure because he wasn't playing games anymore.

"I want you to kiss me."

Between one breath and the next, Jason had dragged Claudia into his lap and lowered his mouth to hers.

She parted her lips without hesitation and lost herself in the kiss. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers and feel his hand running gently along her sides. Normally, that was Claudia's most ticklish spot but she wasn't laughing tonight. When Jason touched her it was erotic.

It had been so long since she'd allowed herself to be in a situation this intimate that she had almost forgotten what it was like. She'd never been one for making love, preferring hard sex instead, but tonight she wanted things to move slowly. She wanted to savor every moment that Jason was kissing her, touching her, sliding in and out of her. She wanted to be able to remember every detail of this in the morning.

The same basic thoughts were running through Jason's head as he skillfully caressed Claudia's mouth. After breaking up with Elizabeth a final time he had shut himself off from the dating world, not interested in being left yet again by anyone. But then he and Claudia had started working more closely and lately he'd found himself noticing things about her that he hadn't taken the time to notice before.

Somehow, she'd managed to get to him and despite his philosophy that he was done dating Jason had found himself developing feelings for her.

As he nibbled at the corner of her mouth, delighting in the hint of chocolate that lingered, her hands moved to his shoulders holding him against her.

She was now straddling his lap, flush against him, shifting her hips slightly. She probably didn't even realize she was doing it but the action was driving him crazy. He placed his hands on her hips to hold her still and she complied.

A desperate need for air finally drove them apart but Jason still held Claudia close to him. The television was still on in the background but they barely noticed as an announcer said something about the "most dramatic season opener ever."

They were too wrapped up in each other to really hear the words and for several minutes heavy breathing filled the apartment.

"Truth or dare?" she finally whispered, her dark eyes shining mischievously.

Her question was rewarded with a smile and another quick kiss. "Dare."

She licked her lips, once again nervous. The only difference was that this time it wasn't as debilitating. It didn't paralyze her like it had before and she was able to make the request without much hesitation. "Make love to me."

Those four words were like magic to Jason. In less than two minutes they were upstairs and he was laying her down on his bed.

The air around them seemed to hum with electricity as he laid down beside her and iniated another kiss. It wasn't as slow as their first one had been but it was just as passionate.

Each movement they made was a natural progression of the previous one. By the time they had started undressing each other, they were both breathless and running out of patience. But impatience didn't keep Jason from taking his time in removing Claudia's skirt and panties and then slowly kissing his way back up her body.

When he finally pressed his lips to hers, she couldn't wait anymore.

"I need you now."

Jason was already a step ahead of her, positioning himself over her. He buried himself in her and Claudia moaned, thoroughly enjoying the contact.

She'd never imagined that having him inside of her could feel so good. As he began pumping in and out of her she pulled his head down and crushed her mouth to his.

He reached between them and began stroking her clit, increasing the friction between them. When she thrust her hips up to meet his he groaned. This woman could, quite possibly, be the death of him. She was unlike any other woman he had ever been with.

She broke the kiss and held his gaze, entranced by the way his eyes had darkened with lust and desire. She had always loved Jason's eyes and now she felt like she could lose herself in them. They held a depth that they never had before and it gave her an indescribable feeling to know that she was responsible for that.

Jason thrust into her a final time and they cried out together, gripping each other tightly.

When they came down from their high, he rolled them over so that she lay on his chest and began lazily stroking her back.

"Mmm, I feel completely relaxed," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"That makes two of us."

Silence settled over the room and Claudia pressed a kiss to his chest, content to let the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

The heat kicked on again, lending to their drowsy state and Jason lazily pressed a kiss into her messy hair. Maybe they should have spent more time talking but he didn't give a damn. For the first time in eighteen months he felt truly alive and he wasn't going to allow anything, not even his own thoughts, to ruin that feeling. He was going to hold on to it as long as possible and he and Claudia would work things out as they went along.

Even now he knew that was something they would agree on but it was also the last thing on his mind at the moment. For tonight, he was going to focus all of his attention on the beautiful brunette in his arms and make love to her as many times as she wanted him to.


End file.
